CH716752B1 - Cheese mold, in particular for Comté type cheese, and method of manufacturing such a mold. - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cheese mold (1) comprising at least one part (10) made of thermoplastic material, the part having two opposite parallel main faces, called respectively inner face (11) and outer face (12), and comprising a multiplicity of through perforations (2) according to the thickness of the part from one side to the other, characterized in that each perforation (2) is in two parts of distinct geometry, a first part (3) forming a cavity of imprint opening onto the interior face (11), and a second part (4) of longitudinal shape constituting a through conduit which communicates centrally at the inlet with said cavity and opens at the outlet on the exterior face (12).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a cheese mold, made of thermoplastic material, and the method of manufacturing such a mold, in particular for pressed cheese.

[0002] In the remainder of the description, the term “mold” means the entire mold intended to contain the cheese and the part used for pressing (the foncet), or at least one part of the mold.

[0003] Pressed cheese molds are equipped, over their entire surface, with a multitude of micro-perforations allowing the evacuation of whey during molding and pressing.

[0004] A known method of manufacturing a perforated plastic mold consists of providing a solid plastic part, and subsequently making through perforations depending on the thickness of the wall, via mechanical means such as needles or nails. .

[0005] Furthermore, for certain types of cheese, such as Comté, the surface of the mold must be designed to provide on the external face (future rind) of the cheese a frame presenting an alternation of regularly distributed reliefs/bosses. This frame comes from the imprint left by the wall of the mold which has regularly distributed hollow shapes on its interior face over a certain thickness/depth of the wall, in order to form said reliefs on the exterior face of the cheese.

[0006] However, when it comes to designing a mold presenting an imprint formed by a multitude of hollows, and at the same time through perforations throughout the thickness, the process consists of producing a plastic part equipped with hollows on its interior face which were obtained during plastic injection molding or subsequently by stamping, then mechanically perforating the plastic part with needles. However, mechanical perforation certainly provides regular perforation over the entire part but it is carried out in a second step after marking the hollows, which leads to a random distribution of the perforations in relation to said hollows. Some recesses are not perforated and the dimensions of the perforations are irregular. Ultimately, the whey may not be evacuated evenly and optimally.

[0007] The invention therefore aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by proposing a new mold and its manufacturing process, the mold being designed to present an imprint formed by a multitude of hollows while ensuring optimal evacuation whey.

[0008] According to the invention, the cheese mold comprises at least one part made of thermoplastic material (one face of which is intended to serve as a molding surface for the cheese), the part having two opposite parallel main faces, called respectively inner face and exterior face, and comprising a multiplicity of through perforations according to the thickness of the part from one face to the other, characterized in that each perforation is in two parts of distinct geometry, a first part forming a cavity (with d 'imprint after molding the cheese) opening onto the interior face, and a second part of longitudinal shape constituting a through conduit which communicates centrally at the inlet with said cavity, and opens at the outlet on the exterior face.

[0009] The cavity of each perforation constitutes an imprint in the mold to form a relief on the surface of the cheese during and after use of the mold. The through conduit constitutes a means of evacuating the whey outside the mold when the mold is used, the whey first flowing through the cavity.

[0010] Thus, the perforations of the mold of the invention provide both an imprint intended for the frame to be drawn on the cheese, and means for evacuating the whey. In addition, the through conduit, being systematically arranged as an extension of the cavity, and centrally in relation to said cavity, allows homogeneous evacuation of the whey.

[0011] According to the invention, the interior face is smooth between each perforation. In other words, the mold or the mold part has its interior face which is solid (smooth surface without difference in level) in the zones separating the perforations (and therefore in the zones separating the impression cavities). Thus, the part on its interior face is devoid of any other hollow shape apart from the perforations (and therefore cavities). The whey will only be able to escape through the impression cavities without following other paths, which will provide a perfectly homogeneous crust on the cheese.

[0012] According to another characteristic, the cavity of each perforation has, in a plane parallel to the faces, a section which is greater than the section of the through conduit, at the level of the interior face of the part.

According to another characteristic, the cavity of each perforation has a profile with an angular break, preferably curved.

[0014] Preferably, the cavity of each perforation has a cylindrical peripheral wall extending substantially perpendicular to the interior face, and preferably of circular base, and a bottom wall forming an angular break, preferably curved, with the wall peripheral, the bottom wall joining the through evacuation conduit. The cylindrical section of the peripheral wall of the cavity may be circular or other in base.

Preferably, the cavity of each perforation has a bottom wall which joins the through conduit (the entrance to said conduit), this bottom wall having a concave edge (the concavity of which faces the cavity). This concavity promotes the evacuation of the whey into the conduit.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the conduit of each perforation is cylindrical (that is to say of identical section over the entire length), preferably circular.

[0017] The perforations can be distributed regularly over the part.

[0018] According to yet another characteristic, the cavity and the conduit of each perforation come from a single forming operation (in particular drilling) during the manufacture of the mold part using a single tool perforation mechanics.

[0019] The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing the aforementioned mold of the invention, comprising a step of manufacturing a solid part of thermoplastic material (according to a full thickness and with flat and solid exterior and interior surfaces without recesses blind and/or through perforations), and a step of drilling by crossing the thickness of the part via drilling means, characterized in that the drilling of each perforation is carried out from the interior face, that is to say say from the surface intended to constitute the molding surface of the cheese, and using a unitary drilling tool which creates the through conduit and the cavity (with an impression function) immediately thereafter.

[0020] Preferably, it is the unitary drilling tool for each perforation which is movable relative to the part, between an initial position and an end position. The unitary drilling tool for each perforation is mobile, and the cavity (with an impression function) is made when the tool reaches its end of stroke. The movement of the tool is dynamic throughout its stroke without maintaining static compression of the tool at the end of the stroke (as during stamping).

[0021] According to one characteristic, the unitary drilling tool for each perforation has a termination which corresponds to the last re-entrant part of the tool in the thickness of the part when the tool is at the end of its stroke, this termination having a male shape geometry corresponding to the female geometry of the cavity.

The method may include a step of heating the part prior to drilling, at least on its interior face, by heating means. This heating step can be implemented depending on the plastic material used and its thickness.

Advantageously, the drilling means comprise a multiplicity of unitary drilling tools which are capable of drilling (concomitantly or not) the part to produce the multiplicity of perforations.

The present invention is now described using examples that are purely illustrative and in no way limiting the scope of the invention, and from the attached illustrations, in which:

[0025] [fig.1] or Figure 1 shows a top perspective view of a part of a cheese mold according to the invention.

[0026] [fig.2] or Figure 2 shows a sectional view of the part of Figure 1 according to the thickness;

[0027] [fig.3] or Figure 3 schematically illustrates the steps according to the invention of the mold manufacturing process, with sectional views of an exemplary embodiment of the implementation device.

[0028] [fig. 4] or Figure 4 is a schematic view of an example of a unitary tool for making a perforation according to the invention.

The mold 1 of the invention illustrated in Figure 1 is intended for the molding of cheese, in particular pressed cheese, such as Comté. The mold 1 comprises at least one part 10 of thermoplastic material, here in the form of a plate, which has two opposite main faces 11 and 12, respectively called the inner face and the outer face, and a peripheral edge 13 of thickness e.

The part 10 comprises a multiplicity of through perforations 2 which extend from the interior face 11 to the exterior face 12. The perforations 2 are in the example illustrated distributed regularly over the entire surface of the mold. Depending on the pattern to be drawn on the surface of the cheese, the perforations can be distributed irregularly.

According to the invention, each perforation 2 comprises two parts 3 and 4 of distinct geometry.

[0032] In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, the rest of the interior face 11, that is to say between the perforation zones 2, is solid and devoid of any other marking, recess or equivalent; the surface between the perforations is smooth.

The second part 4 is arranged as an extension of the first part 3, centrally.

The first part 3 of each perforation 2 has, in top view, a section larger than the section of the second part 4 (Figures 1 and 2). Likewise, the interior end of the first part 3 (hereinafter referred to as bottom 32), at the limit of the second part 4, has a section larger than the section of the second part 4.

The first part 3 forms a cavity whose function is to obtain an imprint on the exterior surface of the cheese once it has been molded. Cavity 3 extends in depth over a limited thickness e1 of the part. The second part 4 forms a longitudinal conduit/well which communicates with the cavity 3 and opens onto the exterior face 12 of the mold. Cavity 3 is reduced in depth, while conduit 4 extends longitudinally and oblongly.

Each so-called imprint cavity 3 is intended to be a molding/marking element for the rind of the cheese. All of the cavities 3 of the perforations 2 constitute a negative imprint which is intended to draw a frame with a multiplicity of reliefs, on the external surface of the cheese which will be molded and pressed against said interior face 11 of the mold.

All of the conduits 4 constitute means for evacuating the whey towards the outside of the mold.

[0038] According to the invention, the presence of an evacuation conduit 4 systematically as an extension and in the center of each molding/marking cavity 3 guarantees homogeneous and optimal evacuation of the whey, which will provide a cheese with a rind particularly homogeneous.

[0039] Each cavity 3 has an inlet 30 coplanar with the interior face 11 of the mold part, a peripheral wall 31, preferably cylindrical, and a bottom wall 32 provided with an evacuation orifice 33 communicating directly with the conduit 4, in particular constituting the entrance to conduit 4.

The cavity 3 is preferably cylindrical with a circular section.

The bottom wall 32 preferably has, with the peripheral wall 31, a concave edge 34, this concavity ending at the evacuation orifice 33.

The cavity 3 has a curved profile as shown here, or a broken line profile. Thus the peripheral wall 31 is not straight, continuous up to the evacuation orifice 33 but has an angular break (here curved) to extend through the bottom wall 32. The peripheral wall 31 extends in the direction of the thickness of the part 10, that is to say perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the interior face 11. The bottom wall 32 is inclined converging towards the evacuation orifice 33 and/or (substantially) parallel to to the interior face 11. The internal angle α of inclination between the peripheral wall 31 and the bottom wall 32 makes an obtuse angle.

The geometry of each cavity 3, in dimensions and shape, is adapted to the geometry of the reliefs to be obtained on the surface of the cheese. In the example presented, each recess has a circular shape when viewed from above and is of cylindrical section with a bottom with a concave edge to provide a round and rounded relief. In addition, the concavity of the edge 34 up to the evacuation orifice 33 promotes the evacuation of the whey into the conduit 4.

[0044] According to the invention, the evacuation orifice 33 of the cavity 3 is arranged in the center of the bottom wall 32. The conduit 4 of each perforation 2 is therefore arranged centrally with respect to the bottom wall 32 of each cavity 3.

Each evacuation conduit 4 is cylindrical, preferably with a circular section.

[0046] By way of purely illustrative and in no way limiting example, the dimensions of each perforation 2 are as follows: – width (here diameter) of each cavity 3 along a plane parallel to the interior face 11: of the order of 1 at 2 mm; – width (here diameter) of each conduit 4 along a plane parallel to the interior face 11: of the order of 0.2 to 0.7 mm; – depth/thickness e1 of each cavity 3: of the order of 0.5 to 3 mm, in particular 1 mm; – length of each conduit 4: corresponds to the rest of the thickness of the part 10, for example between 4 mm and 10 mm.

The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing a mold 1 of the invention.

With reference to Figure 3, the manufacturing process comprises the following steps: a) Step a: production of a solid part 10, in particular a plate, in thermoplastic material, such as by injection molding, or extrusion, or by pressing, the part being solid without the presence of blind recesses or through perforations; b) Step b: possibly heating the part 10 by heating means 5, facing the interior face 11 or the two opposite interior faces 11 and exterior 12. This step is optional, depending on the nature of the material and the the thickness of the part 10; c) Step c: facing the part 10 with drilling means 6 equipped with a multiplicity of unit drilling tools 60; d) Step d: drilling in the thickness of the part 10 from a single face, the interior face 11, the drilling of each perforation 2 being done using a single tool 60 producing for each perforation the combination of a conduit 4 and the associated cavity 3. The unit tools 60 are, in the implementation device illustrated schematically in Figure 3, integral with a movable plate 61. Alternatively, the unit tools 60 can be independent of each other others. Cavity 3 of each perforation is obtained at the end of the plate's stroke. The drilling tool is always in a dynamic position, and does not need to be placed in a static compression position at the end of the stroke. e) Step e: removal of the drilling means, the part is finished.

[0049] When a heating step is implemented, the heating of the part made of thermoplastic material is adapted to facilitate drilling through the entire thickness of the part, and to allow forming of the cavities, and this in a clean and flawless.

The installation for implementing the method therefore comprises the heating means 5 which are optional, and the drilling/forming means 6.

Preferably, the heating means 5 are arranged at a distance and facing each of the interior 11 and exterior 12 faces of the part 10. The heating means 5 are for example heating resistors. The part 10 can be movable in translation between the upper and lower heating means 5 to optimize the heating time. The distance between the part and the heating means, possibly the speed of advancement of the part relative to said heating means, and the heating power of the heating means will be adapted according to the temperature to be reached on the surface of the part .

[0052] The temperature to be reached on the surface of the faces 11 and 12 of the part 10 will also depend on the nature of the thermoplastic material, and the thickness of the part. A temperature is for example of the order of 50°C for PP (polypropylene).

The drilling/forming means 6 comprise a multiplicity of unit tools 60 which are capable of being introduced into the thickness of the part. In the example illustrated, the unit tools 60 are introduced simultaneously into the thickness of the part. The unit tools 60 are for example integral with the movable plate 61 and distributed in number and spacing according to the destination of the mold/according to the nature of the cheese to be molded and pressed.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, each unit tool 60 is in the form of a needle (FIG. 4), which comprises a point 62 suitable for drilling, a cylindrical body 63 for drawing the conduit 4, and a termination 64 of geometry appropriate to the geometry of a cavity 3 to be formed.

The shape of each needle 60 is adapted to the geometries of the conduit 4 and the cavity 3 of each perforation 2.

The needle 60 is inserted from the interior face 11 and beyond the exterior face 12, the termination 63 being inserted to the desired depth to correspond to the thickness e1 of the cavity 3.

[0057] The part 10 of a mold once manufactured according to the process of the invention can constitute a bottom or a pressing base of a mold. It will have a geometric outline adapted to the shape of the cheese, for example circular for Comté. The disk geometry is for example obtained by circular cutting of a parallelepiped plate which has been previously drilled according to the process of the invention, or obtained directly during the manufacture of the solid thermoplastic part.

[0058] Part 10 can constitute a shell of a mold. It is in the form of a solid parallelepiped plate/strip which is then pierced according to the process of the invention, and finally rolled up and heat-welded at its two ends. The ferrule will then be heat-welded to a mold base.

[0059] Consequently, the method of manufacturing the mold of the invention provides, by drilling from a single face of the part 10 and with a single tool for each perforation 2, a drilling and at the same time a forming in two distinct geometries for constitute the combination of the longitudinal through conduit 4 and the impression cavity 3. The method of the invention guarantees the manufacture of a mold according to the invention, which comprises the arrangement of a whey evacuation conduit systematically opposite/an extension of each impression cavity and in a centralized manner, thus generating homogeneity in the evacuation of the whey.

Claims (10)

1. Cheese mold (1) comprising at least one part (10) made of thermoplastic material, the part having two opposite parallel main faces, called respectively inner face (11) and outer face (12), and comprising a multiplicity of through perforations (2) according to the thickness of the part from one side to the other, characterized in that: – each perforation (2) is in two parts of distinct geometry, a first part (3) forming a cavity opening onto the interior face (11), and a second part (4) of longitudinal shape constituting a through conduit which communicates at the inlet centrally with said cavity, and opens at the outlet on the exterior face (12), – the interior face (11) is smooth between each perforation (2). 2. Mold according to claim 1, characterized in that the cavity (3) of each perforation (2) has, in a plane parallel to the faces, a section which is greater than the section of the through conduit (4), at the level of the interior face (11) of the part. 3. Mold according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity (3) of each perforation (2) has a cylindrical peripheral wall (31) extending substantially perpendicular to the interior face (11), and preferably of circular base, and a bottom wall (32) forming an angular break, preferably curved, with the peripheral wall (31), the bottom wall (32) joining the through conduit (4). 4. Mold according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity (3) of each perforation (2) has a bottom wall (32) which joins the through conduit (4), this bottom wall being at concave edge (34). 5. Mold according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the perforations (2) are distributed regularly over the part. 6. Method of manufacturing a mold (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a step of manufacturing a solid part (10) of thermoplastic material and a step of drilling through the thickness of the part via drilling means, characterized in that the drilling of each perforation is carried out from the interior face (11), that is to say from the surface intended to constitute the molding surface of the cheese, and at the using a unitary drilling tool (60) which creates the through conduit (4) and the cavity (3) immediately thereafter. 7. Method for manufacturing a mold according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the unitary drilling tool (60) for each perforation (2) is movable between an initial position and an end position, and the cavity (3) is carried out when the tool (60) reaches its end of travel. 8. Method for manufacturing a mold according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the unitary drilling tool (60) for each perforation (2) has a termination (64) which corresponds to the last re-entrant part of the tool in the thickness of the part when the tool is at the end of its stroke, this termination having a male-shaped geometry corresponding to the female geometry of the cavity (3). 9. Method for manufacturing a mold according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the drilling means (6) comprise a multiplicity of unitary drilling tools (60) which are capable of drilling the part (10) to simultaneously produce the multiplicity of perforations (2). 10. Method of manufacturing a mold according to any one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a step of heating the part prior to drilling, at least at the level of its interior face (11) , by heating means (5).